Roy's Beginning
by Akuma no Musuko
Summary: When Roy McCormick, a normal guy living in Houston, meets the Star Fox team, his life is changed forever. Join Fox, Falco, Krystal, and Roy as they travel across the Lylat System in an adventure of trust, sacrifice, and the truth. HIATUS
1. The Savior on the Motorbike

**Disclaimer: I do not own Star Fox, nor do I own Nintendo. I DO, however, own any OC's in this fanfic**

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**Chapter One**

**The Savior on the Motorbike**

Roy's life was changed forever on that fateful night. For almost ten years, his life was just crap, like almost every 24-year-old man's life. He actually had thoughts of taking "the mortal highway" from time to time. But all of that went away when he first encountered a group of intergalactic mercenaries: a group known as Star Fox.

Roy was just walking home to his apartment, with his head hanging low and a depressive angst that could've sent him hurtling into suicide. The walk home was very long, so it was what he chose to keep him away from his foster mother or, as he calls her, the "slave driver" who didn't want to leave. Roy had just turned the corner when he noticed an eyesore that shouldn't even exist: two groups of animals, or at least, what looked like animals. They sure as hell were animals, but what set them apart was the fact that they had the traits of average humans; they were standing on their hind legs, seemed to have opposable thumbs as though they were above the evolutionary chain, and (this was a shocker) were wearing clothes. As Roy could tell, they actually looked like the animals that inhabited Earth; one group consisted of what seemed to be a panther, a chameleon, and a wolf with an eye-patch. The other set included some kind of falcon and a pair of foxes: one with red fur, and (unbelievably) another with blue. Roy had no idea what was happening, but somehow, he just felt the necessary urge to help out whoever was the good guys (and from his judgment, anyone with an eye-patch wasn't all for justice,) so he looked around for a plan of attack. Suddenly, he noticed a vacant bike just waiting to be ridden. He hesitated at first, but decided that helping out others was more important than risking incarceration, so he stepped over to bike, hotwired it, and started it up, waiting for the right time to help. Meanwhile, just around the corner, the Star Fox team was preparing for their battle with Star Wolf.

"Just admit it already, Fox," Wolf mocked. "You and I both know that we're superior to your group." "Well that's surprising," Fox shot back, with a smug grin on his face. "We beat you five or six times in the past, and now you're saying you're better than us?" Wolf said nothing; he was too busy trying to hold it in. Unfortunately, his temper got the better of him, and Wolf would've charged towards Fox if his teammates, Panther and Leon, hadn't held him back. "Face it, Wolf," ridiculed Falco, one of Fox's teammates. "When it comes to losing, you guys are always gonna be second-to-none." Pretty soon, both Panther and Leon were about to lose their grip, for they were trying to keep their temper, until finally, Leon, the psychotic chameleon with a thirst for action, asked Wolf in a manic voice, "Can we kill them now and get it over with?" Wolf didn't say anything, but instead, he gave a murderous-looking grin that could only be seen on an inmate at the local penitentiary. Krystal, the team's telepath, didn't have to read his mind to know what he was thinking. She just took one look at Wolf's expression, and her only response was, "This is not good!" To both Fox and Wolf, that was the signal for one of the biggest struggles of their lives.

Star Fox and Star Wolf both charged at each other with break-neck speed. When they got close together, Fox leaped forward and, with his leg extended, attempted to kick Wolf in the chest. Wolf, however, just caught his leg in mid-air and slammed him into the sidewalk. Enraged by what he did to one of his greatest friends, Falco dashed towards Wolf, leapt up with his feet to Wolf's head and launched his feet into his face, landing with a back-flip as Wolf toppled down to the ground, blood oozing from a gash along the side of his face. Falco then pulled Fox off the cement ground, but the next thing Falco knew, however, Panther clubbed him in the face unexpectedly. Still standing, Falco twisted around with a feathery fist and returned a punch to Panther's gut, knocking him about four feet. Unfortunately, just before Panther smacked into Krystal, she brought her leg up and swung it with all of her might into his crotch. Panther didn't scream out; however, he just fell over to the ground and whimpered in pain, holding his groin. Krystal was proud of what she did, that is, until she felt a hand hit her in the back of the neck. Both Fox and Falco turned to find Leon standing over Krystal's unconscious body. Surprised, they both tried to dash towards him, but were cut short when Wolf, who had just revived a few minutes ago, punched them both in the back of their necks. As they fell over on the sidewalk, Wolf smugly gloated, "I told you, Fox; we're better than ya in every way." He then pulled out a laser pistol and pointed it at Fox's head. "Unfortunately for you," Wolf started. "We want to keep it that way."

That was Roy's cue to leap in and help. He revved up the bike and sped around the corner, catching the attention of Wolf and his team. He then swerved the bike to land a 270-degree rotation just a few feet behind Wolf. "Well, well, well," Wolf began, turning to face Roy. "Who have we here?" "Another punching bag, I presume," replied Panther in a booming baritone voice. Leon then added, "Thank goodness; I was getting bored already." Roy's only response was, "I'm gonna give ya ten seconds to put the goddamn gun away." What's this guy doing? He's going to get himself killed, Fox thought. Wolf just chuckled at the sight of Roy's demanding demeanor, so when he got it out of his system, he commanded Leon, "Go ahead and beat him to a pulp." Leon then crouched into a battle stance and answered, "With pleasure."

Suddenly, he sprinted towards Roy with an incredible burst of speed. Roy, however, just stood unflinching in the same the same spot until Leon was a few feet from him. Roy suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline course through his veins, and time slowed to a crawl. Roy leaped forward in the air and over Leon's head. While in mid-air, Roy brought his foot out and clipped Leon in the back of the head. After Roy landed, Leon, who was rubbing the back of his throbbing skull, rushed at Roy with two clenched fists. When he got close, he threw his fists at Roy's face. Roy, as agile as he is, leaned backward to avoid the potential blow, immediately sprung forward with his arm firmly lengthened and his fist rigidly clasped, and landed an attack to Leon's gut. Before Leon even had time to clutch his stomach, Roy launched a roundhouse kick underneath Leon's chin. Leon flew three feet into the air with a back flip and landed with a face-plant onto the sidewalk.

Wolf was outraged that his best fighter was defeated so easily, so he turned to Panther to let him know it was his turn. Panther didn't have to wait for an answer, because he just raced towards Roy with a blood-lusting grin on his look. Roy was still looking at Leon's unconscious body, as though he were contemplating how to finish him off. Panther took it as an open spot, so he continued charging with the overconfident smirk still attached to his face. He only got as close as about a foot when Roy suddenly twisted around with a fist that buried its knuckles into the side of Panther's face. He then toppled over on his side, unconscious and in extreme pain, just like his comrade. Standing in the middle of the knocked-out foes, Roy cockily asked Wolf with a grin on his face, "Is this the best ya got, _el __feo __perro_?" Wolf had a nervous glimpse in his eyes, but strangely, he started to regain confidence, which unfortunately meant bad news for Roy.

Wolf quickly dashed at Roy at a speed that would've made a drag racer jealous. As soon as he got close, Wolf attempted to punch Roy, but Roy's reflexes said otherwise. Roy immediately put his arm up to parry the blow. Just as soon as he blocked the fist, Roy tried to ram his foot into Wolf's stomach, but was cut short when Wolf grabbed the underside of his leg. Keeping a firm grip on his limb, Wolf spun around and, eventually, released Roy into one of the lobby windows of the nearest skyscraper. Coughing up a little blood, Roy picked himself up from the tile floor just in time to block one of Wolf's kicks. The two warriors continued their battle as they crossed the lobby, exchanging blows and parries, and entered the fire exit, taking their skirmish to the roof of the skyscraper.

Roy flew out the door, bloodied and beaten, with Wolf, in slightly better shape, trailing behind him. While Roy was writhing in pain on the ground, Wolf put his foot on Roy's stomach and pushed with a great burst of strength, making Roy skid about 12 feet along the coarse cement. Wolf slowly approached Roy with both a demonic stare and a murderous smirk on his mug. Roy, despite the desperate state he was in, got up to his feet and clumsily returned to a battle stance. Wolf then stood in front of Roy and chuckled. "I can't believe yer still willing to take a beating," he started. "Any other person would be unconscious by now, much less stay standing." Roy smirked and, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, replied, "Well then, I guess I'm more than any other person, and for a good reason." Wolf was a little confused, so Roy continued, "Right now, I'm fighting for a good cause; to help those guys out. You, on the other hand, are just fighting for two things: glory and vengeance." Roy happened to notice the slight tinge of shock in Wolf's eye: the feeling of both fear and realization. "That's why no matter how hard ya try, you'll never win." Wolf's expression then changed from bewildered to furious. Wolf cried out, "We'll see about that!"

Wolf rushed towards Roy with blinding speed. Roy, however, picked up a conveniently placed ice pick lying next to his foot. Unfortunately, Roy wasn't able to use it, because Wolf reached him just before he was able to swing. Wolf lifted Roy by the collar of his shirt and flung him to the opposite end of the building. Roy didn't come to a stop by sliding along the rough cement this time; however, he rolled along the roof and over the edge of the skyscraper.

If it weren't for Roy's quick-thinking, firm grip, or long reach, he would've fell down thirty stories and land with a splat on the walkway. But no; instead, Roy kept hold of his grip on the edge, staring down towards the sidewalk. He glanced up one time to find Wolf hovering over him, giving off a vibe that would make even a daredevil feel fear. "So what was all that talk about me not winning?" he asked in an arrogant tone. Then Wolf pressed his foot down on Roy's hand, making him scream out in pain. As tears welled up in Roy's eyes, Wolf bent over and said one thing to his ear, "Goodbye." All of a sudden, he pushed his foot off the edge of the building, causing Roy to lose his grip and plummet to oblivion.

Roy plunged at rapid speed, thinking it was the end for him, until he remembered that he still held his ice pick. He then positioned himself so that he could save himself if he timed it just right. Roy held his ice pick over his head and, with great strength, forced it hard enough into the wall so that it was wedged inside it. His timing was perfect, too, because instead of slamming face-first into solid concrete, he crashed through a window with only a few shards of glass that penetrated his face and arms.

Wolf, confused because he was expecting a splat instead of a crash, dashed over to the edge and looked down towards where Roy should've landed, and sure enough, there wasn't even a spatter of blood to prove it. All of a sudden, he heard the same deep voice that he thought he'd never hear again yell, "Surprise!" Instantly after, Wolf felt a powerful shove from behind. He then turned to find Roy gripping on his vest. Wolf didn't have time to question how he survived, so he jabbed Roy on the left side of the face with his fist. Roy reacted with a right jab and a left hook. Then they began exchanging blows while dropping at terminal velocity. Halfway down the skyscraper, Roy grabbed the fur on the right side of Wolf's face and rammed it into the side of the building, tearing off a chunk of fur and flesh as the face skidded along the jagged cement. Finally, Roy pulled Wolf away from the wall, faced him towards the sidewalk, and got on his back. After it was all put together, Wolf landed face-first into the concrete; as if it wasn't fatal enough that he landed with a smack on solid ground, having someone on his back while landing made it even worse.

Roy, practically uninjured from the impact, stepped away from the scene. Wolf, however, just lay still where he landed. He wasn't dead, though, but he was in critical condition. At least three of his ribs were broken, one of them piercing his lung, and he was coughing up blood. Panther and Leon had just came around just in time to find Wolf still lying in the small crater, and when they noticed he was half-dead, they rushed over and cautiously held him up to carry him away. As soon as he was up from the ground, Wolf asked Roy half-consciously, "Who are…you?" Still facing away from the Star Wolf team, Roy answered with a firm tone, "I'm Roy McCormick." He then subtly turned his head enough to catch a glimpse of the defeated group and demanded, "Don't let me catch you three in Houston again!"

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**Well, that's the first chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Also, I'm not really that good with writing fighting scenes, so the battles may seem a little short.**


	2. From Runaway to Stowaway

**Chapter 2**

**From Runaway to Stowaway**

Fox came to just as soon as Wolf and his gang left. As soon as he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a shaggy-looking human being with long bangs in his face and a soul patch just at the tip of his chin. Usually, someone who sees a guy like that leaning over them would call the police, but Fox kept calm, as though he knew there was something good about this guy. "Are you okay?" Roy asked, holding out his hand. Fox hesitantly held his hand and replied, "Yeah, I'm fine." As soon as Fox got to his feet, both Falco and Krystal opened their eyes and stood up from the sidewalk. Falco had an uncontrollable urge for vengeance, and since he didn't know that Roy saved their lives and thought he was about to kill Fox, he immediately ran towards Roy, pounced on him, and began socking him in the face in rapid succession.

"Falco!" Fox shouted. "What the hell are you doing?!!" "Wasn't this guy about to kill ya?" Falco asked. "Yeah, he was going to kill me by getting me off of my butt," Fox replied sarcastically. "Of course he wasn't trying to kill me!!!" Falco suddenly felt embarrassed, since he let revenge cloud his judgment and pound on an innocent civilian, so he got off of Roy and held out his wing to help him. Hesitantly, Roy took Falco's wing and stood up from the cement sidewalk. As if what Roy was seeing wasn't confusing enough, what he was feeling was even stranger; Falco's wing actually felt soft and feathery, unlike the phony bird costume that has those plastic feathers on their wings. "Sorry about the whole 'beating you to a pulp' thing," Falco apologized. "Don't worry about it," Roy replied, rubbing on his face to ease the swelling. In an effort to not look like an idiot, Roy immediately stopped rubbing his face and set his focus onto the group. "My name's Roy, by the way," he presented. "So, err, who are you guys?" Roy asked in a confused tone. "Oh, right," Fox started. "My name's Fox McCloud." He then turned towards the falcon and introduced, "This bird that nearly beat you to death is Falco Lombardi." Finally, Fox turned towards the blue fox and introduced, "This young woman here is Krystal." "Pleased to make your acquaintance," Krystal added. Roy was about to open his mouth and mention something, but Krystal immediately cut him off and said, "I don't know my last name, either. I was separated from my parents when I was very young." Roy was dumbstruck, but then regained his focus when Fox continued, "We're the Star Fox team."

Roy stood and listened as Fox told him about their background; what they did, where they were from, what ships they were flying, and who those bloodthirsty criminals were that nearly killed them. When Fox finished, Roy inquired, "So if you're mercenaries from this so-called 'Lylat System,' what are you doing in this solar system?" "Well, it started about four years ago," answered Fox. "Astronomers at the Cornerian Observatory have discovered that there was another planet besides the ones in our solar system that could retain life." "And let me guess," Roy cut in. "They decided that you guys would be best for the reconnaissance mission after a few more years of research?" "That's the short-and-sweet side of the story," Falco answered. Roy nodded, then he checked his watch and said, "Well, I guess I'll be going now; it's getting kinda late." He turned and was about to walk away until Fox grabbed his shoulder. When Roy turned, Fox said "Before you go, we'd like to thank you for saving us tonight." Fox then reached into his back pocket, pulled something out, and it in Roy's hand. When Roy looked in his hand, he noticed that Fox had given him a large emblem, but it wasn't any emblem he had seen, however; it was in the shape of a red fox with large wings of about the same length as the body and, to Roy, felt as though holding it gave him a sudden surge of power. "As of right now," Fox announced. "You are now an official member of Star Fox."

Roy took the news with silence, as if he were saying "What the hell?!!" and "Awesome!" at the same time. Krystal didn't seem surprised, mostly because of the fact that she could read minds and could tell what everyone was going to do; Falco, however, seemed a bit dumbfounded. "Thanks, Fox," Roy thanked, setting his focus off his new badge and back onto Fox. "Fox, are you insane!?!" cried an aggravated Falco. "Did you already forget the last time--" Falco was instantly cut off when Krystal held her hand over his beak to keep him from finishing what he was about to say. Roy seemed a little confused about why Falco needed to be silenced, but then brushed it off his shoulder and said, "Thanks for everything, Fox. I'll see you later." With that, he walked away with a newfound contentment. He then heard Fox yell out, "Wait!" Annoyed, Roy stopped in his tracks and turned his head slightly. "You forgot your vehicle," Fox reminded, gesturing to the motorbike. "Don't worry about it, Fox," Roy replied. Fox, Krystal and Falco looked confused until he continued with a smirk, "It's not even mine."

Roy finally got to his apartment at about one o'clock in the morning. He knew that he had to keep quiet because his mother was probably asleep by now. Carefully, he snuck through the living room until one of the lamps turned on. Roy jumped and turned towards whoever turned it one. To his surprise, it was his foster mother who, as usual, didn't seem very pleased to see him. "Where the fuck were you?" his mother demanded. "I already told you," Roy started. "I was going to be working late tonight and I wouldn't be home till late." "Don't give me any of that bullshit," his mother argued. "I'm pretty much the only one who actually makes fucking money around here!" Roy was beginning to get pissed off, so he cut in, "Well at least I don't spend my hard-earned cash on marijuana and heroin instead of actually paying the goddamn bills." "I have a good explanation for why I'm an addict," his mom excused. "It just feels really good and it helps me forget that son-of-a-bitch father of yours!" "You always have to fucking blame everything on Dad, don't ya, bitch?" Roy accused. "You know what? Fuck this; I'm goin' to bed." He then stormed into his room and slammed the door. Roy went to sit on his bed and think about how he was going to free himself of his own torment, more better known as his adoptive mother. While he was busy in his thoughts, he heard a faint sound coming from the windowsill that went, "Mew."

Roy turned to see Shade, a black stray kitten that he had befriended ever since he moved into the apartment complex. "How're you doin', Shade?" Roy asked, stroking the kitten's head. Shade didn't have to understand "human-talk" to know that something was wrong with him, so she leapt into Roy's lap and purred contently, hoping to cheer him up. But still, Roy was as distraught as ever. He looked around his room in hope of finding something to help him with his predicament. He then set his view on a photo frame sitting on his nightstand. Roy picked it up and saw a memory that made him feel both happiness and depression; it was the photo of his real family: his mother, father, himself and his twin brother. He still hasn't forgotten that day; it was the day that sent his life hurtling through hell. It was only ten years ago, but the memory was still singed into his mind. He still had recurring nightmares about that single day; coming home to find his two parents dead on a separate noose, and his older brother still nowhere to be found was too much to bear.

As tears welled up in his eyes, Roy put the frame back on his nightstand and lay back on his bed. Shade was standing on the pillow next to his head with a curious look on her face. Roy, turning his head, asked Shade, "What would you do in a situation like this?" Shade let out a small mew that probably would have translated to, "I'd run away if my mother was like that." Roy probably understood, because thought for a second and replied with a grin, "I like the way you think." He then leapt off the mattress and went to the closet. He opened the door, pulled out a duffel bag and began shoving about a month's worth of clothing into the bag. Then he rushed to his bathroom and stuffed his toiletries into the side pocket. Finally, he pulled out a piece of paper and wrote his goodbye note to his mother.

Mom, (or should I say, Denise,)

If you're reading this, then you already know that I'm gone and you're the reason because you're a fucking superficial bitch. I'm sick and tired of the way you treat me. I tried to help you out when Dad left you seven years ago. When your house burned down, I let you stay in my apartment. I fucking bent over backwards for you, and this is how you repay me? You treat me more like a slave than a son. You even make me do your own work in my own home! So guess what? You can take this adoption and shove it up your ass, for all I care. I've decided to go wherever you aren't, and no matter what you try, I'll never come back.

Your former slave,

Roy

Roy put the note on his pillow and opened the window. When he and Shade (who was snug in his coat pocket) were out on the fire escape, Roy closed the window and declared quietly to his tiny companion, "This is the beginning of a new life."

Meanwhile, at an abandoned motel on the outskirts of town, Fox and his gang were getting ready to get some sleep, with Falco on the couch, Fox in one bed, and Krystal in the other. "I still think that was a bad idea, Fox," Falco complained. "Come on, Falco," Fox disagreed. "I'm not quick to judge a guy's character, nor am I stubborn about who I think they really are." "Fox is right," Krystal put in. "Besides, Roy seemed like a nice man." "Exactly, he SEEMED like a nice guy," Falco repeated, putting emphasis on "seemed." "Falco, you're being paranoid," Fox argued. Falco then shot back, "I'm just trying to keep history from repeatin' itself. Besides, you remember the last time a human came to Corneria?" Fox yelled, angrily, "I haven't forgotten, Falco!" He then continued, "Now let's just get some sleep." The room then went quiet as Fox switched off the lamp. As everyone fell asleep, Fox was just lay there wide-awake, thinking about bringing the first human to Corneria and the consequences of doing so.

As the Star Fox team was falling asleep, Roy was wandering through the city, hoping to find a good place to rest his eyes. No matter how hard he tried, however, he just couldn't find the right spot. Giving up hope, Roy went over to the park and sat down on a bench. He felt it as a good spot to relax; it was eerily quiet at night (which was great in Roy's opinion) and the nighttime air was cool and calm. Despite what he was going through, Roy thought of this moment as relaxing. As he sat there in the park, his eyelids began drooping and his limbs started feeling heavy, and, eventually, Roy began to fall asleep.

His dream, though, was the manifestation of the tough life he had to endure. When his dream started, for example, all he could see was his brother being shoved into a van. He tried to run and stop them, but he couldn't move, so he had no choice but see the van drive away and hear his brother screaming from the van, "HELP!!!" Roy then turned around to see his parents hanging from their necks on nooses. Roy's eyes welled up with tears at the sight of his dead parents, but in an instant, sadness changed to fright when he turned his head to find his worst fear of all: his foster mother, with a lit joint in her mouth and a shotgun in her hands. With a smile on her overly mellowed-out face, she threatened, "If you won't do what I want, then you will die." With that, she pumped the barrel, pointed the gun at his head, and fired.

Roy's head jolted up from the bench as cold beads of sweat dotted his face. He rubbed his face to make sure it wasn't riddled with bullet marks. Feeling that his face was unmarked, Roy slouched back in the bench with a sigh of relief, looked at his watch, and saw that it was four-thirty in the morning. He then looked down to see Shade looking up at him. Smiling, he stroked the kitten's back and said quietly, "I'll think of something." As if on cue, thunder boomed overhead and a shower of rain poured down in the entire city. Roy then sheltered Shade in his coat pocket and leaned his head back on the bench, feeling the freezing rain lightly smack his face. Then he had an idea as to how they were going to start a new life. Roy wrote in his note to his mother that he was going somewhere where she couldn't find him, and where else would that be besides out of the city? The city limit was just a couple miles away, and there was a closed-down bike rental shed at the corner of the park. Roy then rushed to the shed, grabbed a bike, and pedaled out of the city, with nothing but his bag of clothes and his little buddy riding in his pocket.

Roy pedaled for about half an hour before he finally found shelter: a run-down old motel that was once used for tourism, but now was just used as a space-waster. It was littered with crates and fallen branches, and smelled like warm compost. Little did he know that this was the same motel that the Star Fox team was sleeping in. Roy dismounted his bike and quietly stepped by the motel, but was caught off-guard when he stepped on a broken twig. He flinched, but relaxed when he looked to see that it was just a small piece of wood. Then he heard a door open in front of him. Frightened, Roy dived behind a group of crates and peeked over to see who it was. To his astonishment, it was Fox who stepped out of the room. He turned his head to the left and right, but saw that no one was around. Hmm, I thought someone was out here, Fox thought. He then shrugged and went back inside to go back to sleep.

"Wait a minute," Roy muttered quietly. "If Fox is here, then that means this is where the team is hiding out." Roy then peered over the crate to try to find where the team could've hidden their ships. They should be here somewhere, Roy thought. He then stepped from behind the crate and stealthily crept around the motel, this time making sure not to step on any twigs. When he finally got behind the motel, he looked around and saw that there wasn't anything in sight; it was just an empty field. This doesn't make any sense, Roy mulled over. How could they be here if they didn't have any ships? Roy took a few steps forward when, suddenly, he bumped into something solid. Roy looked to see what obstructed his path, only to find nothing. Just then, his back pocket began pulsating. He reached into his back pocket to find his membership emblem vibrating with a vigor that could've powered a massage chair. Then he noticed something that he never noticed there before: a small red button, just where the eye was supposed to be, almost camouflaged against the rest of the badge. On impulse, Roy pressed the button and, all of a sudden, a large, streamlined starship materialized in front of him. He was astonished at what he was looking at; the flying machine seemed as though it were painted white with bluish highlights. To make things even weirder, there weren't any stands holding it up; it was just "hovering" in mid-air.

"Well, it isn't a motel room," Roy mumbled. "But as long as it keeps us dry, I'll take it." He leaped up onto the nose of the ship and tried to pry the visor open. He used all of his strength, but it wouldn't even budge. Then he noticed a faint green glow on the end of the ship. Leaping off the ship, Roy investigated the site and saw what looked like a scanner. Then an idea popped into his mind; he pulled out his emblem and searched the edge for something like a bar code. He couldn't find it anywhere, so seeing that both the emblem and the scanner were a perfect match in size, he attempted to open it by placing the smooth "button-less" side into the light. Sure enough, air hissed out from under the hatch and opened, giving Roy a chance to get out of he rain.

Roy climbed into the ship, stood up and tried to pull the visor down, but it wouldn't move, just as it was when it was closed. Frustrated, he looked around the cockpit for a way on how to get the hatch down. It wasn't easy; the front dash was covered with over 50 buttons, each one with a different characteristic. Eventually, Roy found a small switch that looked like an arrow pointing downward. Nervously, he pressed the switch and, thankfully, the hatch descended slowly. When the hatch was tightly shut, Roy climbed behind the pilot's seat and lay there, hearing the rain pour on the glass and, after a while, fell asleep.

The next day, the Star Fox team walked out of the room and to their Arwings. As Fox and Krystal removed the cloaking devices on their ships, Falco just stood there, confused as to how his ship's cloaking device was offline. I could've sworn that it was set up last night, he pondered. Instead of worrying about it too much, he just climbed into the cockpit, put in the ignition sequence, and flew with the rest of the team to their mother ship, the Great Fox, unaware that he had a certain "passenger" in the rear.


	3. A Home LightYears Away from Home

Chapter Three

A Home Light-Years Away from Home

Fox, Krystal, and Falco got out of their small fleet of ships and were greeted by Peppy Hare, an elder rabbit and veteran of the original Star Fox team, and Slippy Toad, a youthful frog and the team's mechanic. "So," Peppy started in a gruff voice. "How was the mission?" "It was ok," Fox replied. "We met up with Star Wolf while we were there, though." "That's not good," Slippy commented with a squeaky accent. "But one of the locals saved us," Krystal added. "And Fox made him an honorary member." "I still can't believe you did that, Fox," Falco nagged. Fox just rolled his eyes in a way of saying, "Will you shut up about it?" As Fox, Krystal and Peppy headed of to the main deck, Falco continued, "Anyway, can you check out my Arwing whenever you get a chance, Slippy?" "Sure," he accepted. "What's wrong with it?" "Well," Falco started. "Before we were leaving, I noticed that my cloaking device was deactivated, and I thought it might be a short 'cuz of the rain." Slippy was a little puzzled; he had designed the Arwings to be resistant against any kind of weather, including rain. Hesitantly, he agreed and decided to get to work on it right away. Falco then thanked Slippy and rushed off to catch up with the others.

Falco caught up with the rest of the team on the main bridge where they met up with ROB 64, the team's android. He was kind of like what a normal robot seemed like: a thin wide sensor for an eye, a simple rod-like arm-and-leg structure, and a shiny metal coating to cover his bare wiring. "This is very perplexing," ROB 64 started. "What'd I miss?" Falco asked as soon as he came in. Peppy answered, "We don't know; we just got here, too." "According to the infrared cameras we placed everywhere in the ship," the android continued. "There is another being in the hangar with Slippy." The rest of the team was surprised, so Fox ordered, "Put the camera feed on screen." ROB then put in a few commands and, in an instant, a mostly red image appeared on the large computer screen. Sure enough, there were two different shapes around the same area; the blue one, knowing that amphibians are cold-blooded, was Slippy working under the hood of Falco's Arwing. The bright red one, however, was in the back of the ship, practically in the fetal position. Fox then commented, "I think we know why the cloaking machine was offline." "Hey, ROB. Do you think you can bring it to normal view?" Peppy requested. Without a word, ROB 64 pressed a button and instantly brought up a clear view of the hangar. To Fox's shock, it was the same one who saved him and the team last night: Roy McCormick.

Roy woke up from his sound sleep, unaware that the Star Fox team was watching his every move. He didn't know that he was in the team's mother ship, the Great Fox, primarily because he was still a little groggy. He knew that he wasn't behind the abandoned motel anymore, however, because instead of smelling compost, his surroundings smelled like steel and copper, and the air was freezing against his skin. His drowsiness went away when Shade's head popped up from his lap and quietly cried out, "Mew." Roy looked down at his lap and smiled, but his expression immediately changed when he heard a high voice call out, "Who's there?" Roy flinched and turned towards the voice, only to see a large metal wall. All of a sudden, Slippy's face appeared from behind the metal. His frightened eyes widen, Slippy asked loudly, "W-who are you?!" Roy was nervous and thought, If this frog goes and tells whoever runs this place, I'm dead. On impulse, Roy grabbed Slippy by the throat, wrapped his arms around his head in a sleeper hold, and squeezed. The frog flailed his arms and kicked his feet, trying to break free, but in a matter of minutes, his body went limp and Slippy fell asleep.

Fox and the rest of the gang all watched in horror as Roy, the savior-turned-stowaway, knocked their good friend unconscious. Fox dashed to the hangar, with Falco and Krystal following close behind him. Meanwhile, Roy was bent over to check and see if Slippy was still alive. He placed two fingers on the side of his neck and, thankfully, felt a pulse. Roy was relieved until he heard swift footsteps coming from the cavernous corridor. He strained his vision to find Fox, sprinting towards him with Falco and Krystal behind him. Roy was caught between a rock and a hard place; he could jump off the ledge and be a new paint job on the floor, or he could let Fox catch him and be turned over to their own authorities. After thinking for a brief moment, he leaped off the ledge and, suddenly, adrenaline burst into his veins, making time seem to slow down. Using quick reaction time, Roy grabbed a large pipe hanging from under the platform, using all of his strength to keep from slipping.

When Fox, Falco and Krystal made it to the hangar platform, they were too late to apprehend Roy. Falco went over to the ledge to see if Roy had hit the bottom, but it was too far down to see clearly, so he presumed he was dead. "It's a shame," Krystal eulogized. "He would have made a great comrade." Falco just grunted and said, "Good riddance." Fox and Krystal just glared at Falco, giving him an uncomfortable vibe. Fox then went over to Slippy and shook him lightly to wake him up. His eyes then slowly fluttered open and, after he sat up, asked, "What just happened?"

Everyone let out a sigh of relief when they knew their friend was still alive. Fox then turned his attention to the small kitten, Shade, in the back of the Arwing. He was confused, but at the same time, curious, so he held out his hand and gently picked up the kitten with great care. As Fox held Shade in his hand and looked into her eyes, he couldn't help but smile. He then turned to his team and commanded in a smooth tone, "Come on, let's go," and walked back to the command deck with Falco, Krystal and Slippy behind him, everyone's attention turned to the cute little critter in Fox's arms.

When everyone was gone, the only one left in the hangar was Roy, who was still straining to keep from plunging from his death. Starting to lose his grip, he had to find somewhere to stand on so he could let go of the pole. He took a few glances around and noticed a small platform just a few feet under the big one, just big enough for him to stand. Then, keeping from letting go, Roy swung back and forth, trying to gain momentum. He then let go of the pipe and landed right in the middle of the platform. After massaging his hands to ease the throbbing, he said quietly to himself as though his little companion could hear, "Don't worry, Shade. I'm still alive."

Roy was about to climb the nearby ladder, but then realized that there might've been security cameras watching everything, so he was pretty much up the river without a paddle. With another search, he noticed a ventilation shaft just wide enough for him to crawl through. Roy wedged his already aching fingers behind the cover and heaved, trying to loosen the bolts, making his fingers ache even worse. All of a sudden, the grid's bolts flew out of the screw holes and the cover smacked Roy in the gut, almost pushing him over the edge. He set the grid by the vent, crawled in butt-first, and pulled the grid back into the opening to cover his tracks. Roy then struggled to face the other way; when he finally did, he crawled through the vents, with the thought of saving his little friend in mind.

Meanwhile, in the command deck, Fox and the team came back to find ROB and Peppy prepping the ship for hyperspace. "Are we almost ready to head back to the Lylat System?" Fox asked. "Almost," Peppy responded. "At least everyone's present and accounted for." Fox hung his head and added glumly, "Well, almost everyone." Depressed, Peppy stood up from one of the control panels, walked over to Fox, and put his hand on Fox's shoulder, saying, "We all thought he would've been a great member, too, but we'll just have to move on." Fox let out a deep sigh and just slightly nodded his head. Peppy let out a little smile, but then turned his attention to the tiny kitten resting in Fox's arms. "What's that in your arms?" Peppy asked, reaching out to touch it. He then recoiled when her head jerked up and her wide eyes opened.

"This is the creature we found in the back of Falco's ship with the guy who knocked me out cold," Slippy answered. "We think it's like a domestic companion." "Her name's Shade," Krystal inserted. Everyone was confused, but then they remembered that Krystal was a telepath, so they assumed she read the kitten's thoughts. "Come to think of it," Falco started, petting the little kitten on her head. "She is kind of cute." Shade began sniffing Falco's feathery finger and, all of a sudden, let out a sharp sneeze. Everyone just laughed, and when the laughter died down, Fox commanded, "ROB, get us back to the Lylat System." The android then pushed a button and, suddenly, the ship jerked forward with a vigorous quake and the Star Fox team was rapidly soaring across the universe through the wormhole back to their galaxy.

Roy was still in the air vents, but he was just above the command deck when the ship entered hyperspace; he saw as the wormhole engulfed the ship and was almost knocked backwards by a few inches. After a few seconds, the Star Fox team stepped out of the command deck and back to their quarters. Roy waited a few more minutes, just in case someone stuck around, then kicked out the vent cover and leaped down onto the floor. When he landed, he stepped over to the control panel and noticed a digital diagram of the mother ship. Roy was speechless at what he saw; there was a sleek and streamlined design of a large ship with many rooms, even more routes to and from each room, and even the schematics of the other features, from the weapons grid to the ventilation system to even each of the crew member's quarters. With the press of a button, he was able to pinpoint where he was and where every other member was at that very moment.

As amazed as he was, however, he wanted to go back to his own galaxy, so he did a quick check of the control panel to see if he could find the "cancel" button for hyperspace. He looked everywhere on the panel, but there were hundred of buttons, so it was confusing. Giving up, Roy put his head on his fist and quietly muttered, "This is hope--," but he interrupted himself when he looked down and found what looked like a thin book in a small compartment under the panel. He bent over and gently slid the book out of its cubby. When he read the front cover, he was confused. Usually when a book's title says "manual," one would expect it to be extremely thick. Roy opened the book and expected to find text, but instead, he found a table of contents pressed against each flap. What the hell is this, Roy thought. Is this a joke? Then he thought of something; in most sci-fi movies, there's usually either a desk or a computer that has a touch-screen monitor. He curiously and cautiously press the bar labeled 'Chapter One: Getting to Know the Great Fox' and, in an instant, a wave of information flooded the screen. He pressed his finger on the text and gently moved it upward. As expected, any text that seemed to be cut off appeared on the screen. Roy smiled at how easy it was; it was like using his old computer at home.

When he knew how to work the futuristic book, he pressed the return key and returned to the table of contents. He then scrolled through the list of chapters until he found the subtitle that read, 'Controlling the Ship.' Roy pushed the bar and a burst of instructions on how to navigate the ship. He scrolled around, hoping to find any information on how to take him back home. Eventually, he found the subsection on how to reset the coordinates. Propping the "book" up, he followed the directions and, in a matter of minutes, found himself on the hyperspace-reroute screen. He thought he was home free, until he read the last instruction: "When you're at the Reroute screen, enter the thirty-digit code of the area you wish to travel to." "GOD DAMMIT!" Roy shouted, pounding his fist on the keyboard. Hyperventilating, Roy quietly muttered, "I guess there's no turning back now. I might as well find a place to stay while I'm here." Then he remembered the schematics of the Great Fox.

Elsewhere on the Great Fox, Krystal was preoccupied watching Shade eat a slice of ham. She looked as though she were a child, lost in another world just by looking in a fish tank. Shade, unknowing that Krystal was reading her mind, thought to herself, "I miss Roy." "I know how you feel," Krystal added, startling the young kitten. "You can read my mind?" Shade asked, looking up at Krystal, her hair standing up on end. "How else was I able to know your name, Shade?" Krystal retorted. Shade didn't think of that, so she just calmed down and went along with it. "My name's Krystal, by the way," Krystal presented. The two then began talking about their histories: their old families (Krystal tried not to cry at that part,) what they did for a living, and the places where they used to live. Even though Shade had made a new friend, she still had a gaping hole in her heart, but she knew Krystal was trying her best to help her.

Meanwhile, Roy was crawling through the cold, dust-ridden ventilation shaft with the route memorized. Occasionally, he ran into a wrong turn, but he still managed to send himself in the right direction. After about an hour of silent creeping, Roy finally arrived at the storage room. He chose the storage room because he figured that there would be enough food to last him the trip through hyperspace and enough containers to hide himself from anybody. Trying his best to keep silent, Roy kicked the vent cover off the wall and leapt out of the cramped shaft. When he landed on his feet, he took a few glances to see if there was enough food for him to sneak a few unnoticed bites, and sure enough, to his own happiness, there was; there were countless bins filled to the brim with food, each with enough to last him for about three months. Roy would've begun helping himself to some of the food in the bins, but his first thought led him to sleep rather than food. He then stepped over to the nearest corner, rearranged the bins to keep from being spotted, and closed his eyes, hoping that he could get some well-needed sleep.

A few hours later, Fox was headed for his room when he noticed Slippy in his room working on his computer. From his eyes, it looked as though Slippy was searching through the camera feeds. Fox then knocked on the wall and asked, "What're you looking for, Slippy?" Slippy nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the knocking, but was calm when he saw that it was Fox. Clutching his chest, he snapped, "Don't scare me like that!" "Sorry about that," Fox apologized. "I was just wondering what you were doing." "You told me about the 'local' who knocked me unconscious and jumped off the platform this morning, didn't you?" Slippy asked. When Fox nodded, he continued, "Well, I've been going over the security feeds for the main hangar, and I noticed that the 'local' twisted his body when he jumped." Then, Slippy typed in a command to zoom the feed outwards to show what he was talking about. The replay showed the airborne Roy twisting his body and "disappearing" off the screen. It wasn't disappearing as in "walking off the screen; however, it was disappearing as in "hiding behind something." "Where'd he go?" Fox inquired. Without answering, Slippy magnified the feed to show a strange object dangling from under the platform. Pointing to the monitor screen, Fox asked, "What's that thing under the platform?" "That," Slippy responded, "is his leg." Fox thought about it for a few seconds, then his eyes widen with the realization of the truth, Roy was still alive.

Meanwhile, Roy awoke with a deep yawn and scratched the back of his head. Man, Roy thought. Sleeping on a metal floor really takes a toll on a guy's back. Roy then struggled to his feet while almost toppling over, when he felt something fall out of his coat pocket. He looked down and noticed his old family photo. Roy bent over, picked it up between two fingers and stared at it memorably. He smiled, and a tear trickled down his cheek. He was caught up in nostalgia when he heard Fox's voice boom through the intercom, "Attention! Everyone meet in the control room in five minutes for an emergency meeting!" Roy's smile vanished when the announcement ended, so when he put his cherished memory back in his pocket, he rearranged the containers so he could climb through the vent, scaled the crates, and climbed into the shaft towards the control room.

Ten minutes later, Roy was watching everyone standing around a large round table for the meeting already in progress through the grate. Unfortunately for Roy, the urgency of the meeting was about the fact that he was still alive. "Right now," Fox started. "We don't know where he is. What we do know is that he's traveling through the ventilation shaft, as shown by the feed on this camera." On cue, Slippy set the video to show the vent grate flying out from under the platform. "We also know," Fox continued. "That he appears to have memorized the entire ventilation system by the Great Fox map on the main controls." Roy was worried that he might've been found out, but all of a sudden, he noticed a small lump of black fuzz in Krystal's arms and knew that it was Shade. He was relieved to find his little friend alive and well, so he was more at ease. Suddenly, Roy heard a groaning sound coming from inside the vent. He didn't know what it was, so he stayed put where he was and kept listening to what Fox had to say.

Another groan came from inside the vent, but Roy ignored it and kept listening to Fox. "Everyone, we may be dealing with either the greatest asset to us or our worst enemy." Fox was going to say more, but he was interrupted by the same groan that Roy heard. Again and again, the creaking noise returned and grew louder with each moan. Roy was worried about the sound, but what made it even worse was that he knew what was making the noise; he figured out that the vent was warping, which would explain the noise. Roy knew that the vent was about to collapse, but found out too late. The metal under his knees tore in half and Roy plummeted onto the giant table.

Roy couldn't open his eyes, but could hear everyone around him. He could barely understand what they were saying, but one faint little cry from his little friend Shade helped him come around from his stunned state. It took a great deal of his strength, but Roy eventually got his eyes pried open. Ignoring the stares from the rest of the Star Fox team (not to mention Falco, who was pointing his laser pistol,) he sat up on the table, rubbing his throbbing head. Shade, excited to see her human friend again, leapt out of Krystal's arms and into Roy's lap. While Shade was affectionately rubbing against Roy's stomach, Fox complimented, "I have to admit, Roy; you certainly know how to make an entrance." With that, Roy's contentment instantly changed to worry. Half-heartedly, Roy asked, "I guess that you're going to send me back to Earth, right?" As if on cue, the Great Fox was spit out from the wormhole and into the Lylat System.

"Well, that's some bad timing," Falco complained. Once again, everyone, even Roy, glared at Falco with a piercing stare, giving him a nervous sensation. "We could jump back through hyperspace," Fox suggested, "but it would take another day for the round trip." "Besides," Peppy added. "It takes a great amount of skill to sneak through the Great Fox without being noticed by anyone, even ROB." "I think I know what the right thing to do is," Fox decided. Without another word, he motioned for Roy to follow him and walked towards the Great Fox quarters with Roy tailgating him.

After about a minute, Fox and Roy came up to one of the empty rooms. Fox then pulled out a keycard and slid it through an electronic key slot. Next thing they knew, the electronic door slid opened to reveal an empty-yet-futuristic room, complete with a metal-framed cot, a lone desk with a sleek desktop computer, and even its own bathroom. "The original Star Fox team," Fox said as he stared reflectively into the vacant room, "actually had six members, with my father as the team leader." Roy didn't understand what he was getting at, so Fox continued, "When my father died, everyone except Peppy retired, and years later, I took over the leadership of Star Fox to continue my father's legacy." "What're ya getting at?" Roy asked. "Ever since Krystal joined," Fox started. "We've still been shy one member, so this room's been empty for a while." Then he turned his head towards Roy and offered, "But I think that you should have this room as your own." Roy, his eyes wide with disbelief, said nothing. Fox then patted Roy's shoulder and said, "Welcome to Star Fox." Then he walked out of the room, leaving Roy standing in his new room. Before the door slid shut, Shade trotted into the room and rubbed against Roy's leg. He looked down at his little friend, picked her up and said to her with a smile, "I guess we have a new home."


End file.
